A Good Win

I've been lax in not plying my trade after a solid Australian win against Zimbabwe opened the "real" campaign to retain the ICC World Cup Trophy for the third time (after winning it initially in 1999). If Australia can go against the stated odds and bring the replica home (the real one gets engraved but stays in London at ICC headquarters) their's would remain the only name so inscribed. Since this trophy was made during 1998 by the Queens only jeweller, Garrard & Co, Australia has won it and held on to all eleven kilograms of it. Starting the tournament rated as the No 1 team is only good enough for Ponting's men to be rated 4th favourite and many judge them unlikely to survive these first round playoffs, so a win over the most troubled team in international cricket whilst expected, was never-the-less a relief. More of their durability in this tournament later.

Zimbabwe are rebuilding a team in ODI cricket against a backdrop of political unrest which has seen quality players run for the safety of England, literally in threat of their life and left the national side under pressure from political leaders such as former Prime Minister John Howard. In fact, it was primarily his opposition to Zimbabwe, his treatment of refugees as PM and his threats to sort out sub-continent cricket which saw him fail to gain enough support to be elected to the Vice Presidency of the ICC, a position which always lead by transition to the top job. Thankfully, enough common sense and self-interest prevailed to stop Little Johnnie from doing to cricket what he did to Peter Costello.

Their problem has always been their player base, which is so small it makes New Zealand seem huge. Its a statistical reality that the more players you have playing at all levels, the better Test team you will produce. Zimbabwe has five first class teams, so maybe 70 or eighty players and there is very little other organised cricket. Compared that to the player base of Australian cricket down to the local level or even more impressively, India, and you begin to grasp the problem.

Ponting won the toss, clearly hoping to give his middle order a chance to get some time in the middle after their mediocre batting in the trial games but what transpired was a slow start from Watson and Haddin against an attack which couldn't have had more variety. Mpofu was the only conventional early innings bowler with his medium pacers but the other three of the first four were a left arm orthodox, an off spinner and a leggie and frankly, Haddin never looked comfortable and when he went, the opening partnership of 61 was crawling at three an over. By the time Watson went at 140 things were back on track heading towards four and half and the ultimate total was always more than Zimbabwe would muster. Mpofu was expensive and three other bowlers who did the composite work of a fifth were also costly. The three spinners, Price, Utseya & Cremer had a synchronicity in their figures and its should be noted that they bothered the Australians. This is a worry because Ponting's boys will face even better spinners as the games get serious. Ponting, meanwhile spruikes about his pace attack. For this, read, "I wish I had some spinners". Hussey and Smith hit some big blows at the death but White was against thrashing about like a drowning man in deep water.

Johnson took wickets up the order and in the tail with his usual happy snarl and barely understated machismo and Lee and Tait were quick through the air and reasonably straight - a comment always destined to be made of Shaun Tait. In fact Johnson was good bowling those left arm slingers which just go straight but batsmen can't leave alone in much the same way as his demeanour leaves them unable to fail to answer back. Such things of the school yard should have no place at this level but their favourable reporting ensures their continuance. It was Jason Krejza who caught the eye with a steady performance. Here's hoping some batsman's wife keeps giving him biscuits.

This was a good win, especially after the unsteady lead up last week, but it wasn't a great win, a crushing win. Again, Watson stood out head and shoulders above the rest, physically and in performance, although in truth, Clarke looked very close to his best and Ponting's momentum is building. He again looks like he owns the game when he is batting, something which has been missing for 18 months, let alone during the ill-fated Ashes. Lee still looks the go-to man with the ball but Krejza is starting to look like he might be the mud in the eye which might distract and dismiss the dangerous ones like Sangakkara and Sehwag and dare I say it in hushed tones Tendulkar.

Compare, however, this solid win with the run scoring of India and Sri Lanka in their first games and the absolute crushing our next opponent dealt the Kenyans. Known in world sport as runners who can go the distance, they were routed for 69 in less than 24 overs by Tim Southee, Jacob Oram and Hamish Bennett and then New Zealand passed them in 8 overs!

The trans-Tasman clash on Friday assumes even greater significance following the devastation in Christchurch and the New Zealanders, sure to be emotionally alight will rightly see they have an even more significant role to play for their country and who better to play that out against than a big brother. New Zealand have been improving in ODI cricket and again they rely on explosive batting, Dan Vettori's tight left armer's line which has bothered Australia's best before and that collection of what Jim Maxwell refers to as "dibbly dobblers". Their best bet is a slow Jagpur wicket and an opponent with mixed feelings towards inflicting another blow to a New Zealand which takes its sport as seriously as a rabid Victorian. Its the sort of reticence gap that New Zealand have steamed through before. Besides all of which, they are always a tough opponent against the Mostly Yellow and there is just the sense of vulnerability in this current line up which Kiwis love to exploit.

I'll stick my neck out and select New Zealand in a game which is sure to be a dog fight in the best of traditions between these Tasman rivals.

A final comment as to England's oh so narrow squeak against the Dutch. Peter Roebuck's once captained an England side which lost to the Dutch and after they had hammered all but Swann, they were unlucky to go down in the second last over. Andrew Strauss played a magnificent hand, Trott was Trott and Collingwood rushed back to some form as he and Bopara added the last 55 in under six overs. However, the real embarassment was the ineptitude of the English fielding with dropped catches, overthrows and wickets on no balls for basics such as too many men outside the circle. It's hard to imagine a side that has ever looked so out of sorts.